MTLNOVEL Chapter 116: Chapter 116 The Mysterious Altar
Lin Yu and Li Qiang were desperately fleeing through the thick fog. Every second seemed to stretch on infinitely, yet at the same time, it passed by in a flash. Their breaths were rapid and heavy. Each gasp was like the difficult pumping of a worn-out bellows, accompanied by a rough hoarseness and urgency. Sweat poured down like a burst dam, streaming continuously from their foreheads, cheeks, and necks, soaking their clothes. It mixed with the muddy water of the swamp and the blood of the giant python, making their bodies as heavy as if they were carrying a huge boulder weighing a thousand catties. Their legs mechanically lifted and fell alternately. Their muscles ached and twitched due to excessive fatigue. Each step seemed to drain all their strength, yet they didn't dare to stop for even a moment. The ground beneath their feet was extremely muddy. Sometimes, one foot would sink deeply into the mud, and they had to exert great effort to pull it out before they could continue moving forward. The splashing muddy water covered their legs, adding to the difficulty of their movement. The surrounding fog was as thick as impenetrable ink, tightly enveloping them, making it impossible to distinguish the direction. They could only rely on their instincts and the desire for survival to run wildly towards the unknown ahead.
I don't know how long they had been running. Just when they were almost consumed by fatigue and despair, an ancient and mysterious altar suddenly appeared in front of them. This altar was built with huge black boulders. Each boulder seemed to carry the weight of thousands of years, appearing heavy and solemn. The surface of the boulders was rough, covered with the marks of time, as if they had been caressed by countless hands or had undergone countless years of wind and rain erosion. The altar was engraved with strange and mysterious symbols and patterns. The symbols were twisted and winding, resembling some ancient characters, but no one could understand them. The patterns were complex and changeable, depicting strange creatures, mysterious rituals, and indescribable abstract shapes. They intertwined with each other, exuding an ancient, mysterious, and awe-inspiring aura, as if telling a history that had been sealed by the passage of time.
The two of them came to the front of the altar, panting heavily. Their violent gasps left them speechless for a moment. Lin Yu placed his hands on his knees, bent over, and gasped for air. Sweat dripped from his forehead onto the ground in front of the altar and was instantly absorbed by the dry soil. Li Qiang, on the other hand, supported his knees with both hands, his body trembling slightly. In his eyes, there was both the relief of having survived the disaster and the vigilance towards the mysterious altar in front of him.
They discovered that there was a peculiarly shaped groove in the center of the altar. The outline of the groove was irregular, seemingly naturally formed but with a certain sense of deliberate design. The runes around the groove emitted a faint and mysterious light. That light was like the twinkling stars in the night sky. Although not dazzling, it had an ineffable attraction, as if silently calling for something. These runes were similar in style to the other symbols and patterns on the altar but had a unique rhythm. Their light flickered on and off, as if conveying some kind of message, yet it was impossible to fathom.
Lin Yu and Li Qiang exchanged a glance, and they both saw deep confusion and an uncontrollable curiosity in each other's eyes. In Lin Yu's eyes, the confusion was like a thick fog, enveloping his incomprehension of this mysterious groove and runes. The curiosity, however, was like a ray of light in the fog, driving him to explore the mysteries within. In Li Qiang's eyes, the confusion was accompanied by a bit of caution. He knew well that in this dangerous swamp, any unknown could hide great crises. But the curiosity made it difficult for him to resist this mysterious call, and an impulse to uncover the truth welled up in his heart.
At this moment, the sound of the giant pythons behind them was getting closer and closer, deafening. It was the angry roars of the giant pythons, as well as the huge sounds they made when moving quickly through the swamp. The muddy water was stirred up by their thick bodies, making a "whooshing" sound, as if it were the countdown to death. Among the roars of the giant pythons, there was also a hint of their unwillingness at the prey's escape and their eagerness to hunt again. The sound echoed in the fog, making one's hair stand on end.
They no longer had time to think more. Although the altar in front of them was full of unknowns
and mysteries, it was also their only hope to temporarily escape the pursuit of the giant pythons. Lin Yu nodded slightly, and Li Qiang understood his meaning. The two of them decided to climb onto the altar first.
They carefully stepped onto the altar. Each step was taken with extreme caution, and their eyes kept scanning the surroundings, alert to any possible danger. The surface of the altar was not smooth. The gaps between the black boulders varied in width, and they had to constantly pay attention to their feet to avoid tripping. Those ancient symbols and patterns extended beneath their feet, as if examining these two intruders.
When they reached the center of the altar and got close to that mysterious groove, the air around them seemed to become even more oppressive, and an invisible pressure rushed towards them. Lin Yu stretched out his hand, wanting to touch the runes around the groove. His fingers trembled slightly, both out of fear of the unknown and a strong desire to explore. Just as his fingers were about to touch the runes, Li Qiang suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Be careful. This is too dangerous. We don't know what we'll trigger," Li Qiang's voice was low and tense, and his eyes were full of worry.
Lin Yu hesitated for a moment and slowly withdrew his hand. He understood that Li Qiang's concern was reasonable. In this dangerous swamp, any casual move could lead to a fatal consequence. They stood in the center of the altar, looking at the flickering runes and the mysterious groove around them, their hearts filled with entanglement. On the one hand, they were eager to find a way out of their predicament, and this mysterious altar might hide the key clues. On the other hand, they were worried that acting rashly would trigger unpredictable dangers.
At this time, the sound of the giant pythons was already right beside them. They could even hear the sound of the giant pythons spitting out their forked tongues. That cold "hissing" sound seemed to be right in their ears. Lin Yu and Li Qiang stood back to back, tightly gripping the weapons in their hands, ready to face the possible attack. Their heartbeats accelerated rapidly, their blood rushed through their veins, and all the muscles in their bodies tensed up, ready to engage in battle at any moment.
Suddenly, the light of the runes on the altar became extremely bright. The originally faint and flickering light became dazzling, so much so that it almost blinded their eyes. In the light, there came a deep rumbling sound, as if the ancient bells were tolling or the earth was shaking. Lin Yu and Li Qiang were startled by this sudden change. They instinctively closed their eyes and shielded their faces from the strong light with their arms.
When the light slightly dimmed, they slowly opened their eyes and found that the runes on the altar seemed to have changed. The originally static runes began to slowly rotate, as if they had been given life. They intertwined and merged with each other, forming a series of dynamic pictures. In the pictures, some strange scenes appeared: In the ancient wars, warriors dressed in strange costumes brandished shining weapons, and the sounds of killing seemed to come through time and space. In the mysterious rituals, people surrounded the huge flames, knelt devoutly, and murmured words. Powerful forces surged, and the light overflowed, as if it could destroy everything and create new life... These pictures flashed by in an instant, leaving no time for them to take a closer look.
Lin Yu and Li Qiang were stunned by the scene in front of them. They had never seen such a miraculous thing before. Just as they were immersed in this mysterious scene, the giant pythons had already reached the bottom of the altar. When they saw Lin Yu and Li Qiang standing on the altar, they angrily twisted their bodies and continuously crashed into the altar. Although the altar was sturdy, it began to tremble slightly under the impact of the giant pythons.
Lin Yu and Li Qiang realized that they couldn't just sit there and wait for death. They looked at the groove in the center of the altar again, and a resolute determination welled up in their hearts. No matter what secrets this groove held, they had to take a risk. Perhaps this was their only chance to get out of their predicament.
Lin Yu took a deep breath and stretched out his hand again. This time, Li Qiang didn't stop him. Lin Yu's fingers slowly approached the groove. When his fingers touched the edge of the groove, a powerful force surged out from the groove and enveloped his body. Seeing this, Li Qiang tried
to pull Lin Yu back, but he found that his hand couldn't get close at all, as if there was an invisible barrier separating them.
Lin Yu was pulled by this force, and his body involuntarily moved towards the groove. His heart was filled with fear, but at the same time, there was also a trace of expectation. Just as he was about to fall into the groove, he turned his head and glanced at Li Qiang. His eyes were full of trust and entrustment. Li Qiang understood that he had to trust Lin Yu and be ready to deal with any unexpected situations at any time.
As Lin Yu's body gradually disappeared into the groove, the light of the runes on the altar reached its peak. The entire altar was enveloped in light, becoming dreamlike and illusory. In the light, it seemed that countless runes were flying, intertwining with the surrounding space, forming a strange energy field. Li Qiang stood on the altar, looking at Lin Yu in the light, and silently praying in his heart. At this time, the giant pythons were still continuously crashing into the altar. Their attacks became more and more fierce, and the altar trembled more and more violently, as if it could collapse at any moment.
In the center of the light, Lin Yu felt as if he had entered a whole new world. Everything around him became illusory yet real. He saw some blurred figures beckoning to him and heard some low voices whispering in his ears. But when he tried to take a closer look and listen, those figures and voices disappeared in an instant. His body was controlled by a powerful force and involuntarily made some strange movements, as if he was completing some ancient ritual.
Outside the altar, Li Qiang nervously watched Lin Yu in the light, tightly gripping the weapon in his hand. He vigilantly looked at the giant pythons around him. These giant pythons seemed to be deterred by the light on the altar, and the frequency of their attacks decreased somewhat. However, they still didn't give up. From time to time, they used their bodies to crash into the altar. The huge impact made it difficult for Li Qiang to stand steadily. Li Qiang knew well that once the altar collapsed, both he and Lin Yu would be doomed. His mind quickly thought of countermeasures, and his eyes kept scanning back and forth between Lin Yu, the altar, and the giant pythons.
Suddenly, the light on the altar began to change. Some black lines appeared in the originally dazzling light. These lines were like cracks and spread rapidly. Li Qiang was shocked. He realized that the situation had become even more critical. At this time, Lin Yu also felt something strange in the light. The force that was controlling him became chaotic, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably. He tried hard to break free from the bind of this force, but he found that the more he struggled, the stronger the force became.
At this critical moment, Lin Yu suddenly remembered those mysterious ruins they had discovered in the swamp before. The symbols on those ruins seemed to have some connection with the runes on the altar in front of him. He concentrated his mind and tried to find a way to break free from this force in his memory. As he recalled, the symbols on those ruins gradually became clear in his mind, and he tried to associate these symbols with the runes on the altar.
A miracle happened. When he silently recited those symbols in his heart, the force around his body seemed to become more docile, and the force that was pulling him gradually weakened. Outside the altar, those spreading black lines also stopped spreading, and the light became stable again.
Li Qiang saw this change, and a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart. He continued to stare closely at the altar, ready to deal with any new situations at any time. And Lin Yu, in the light, gradually regained control of his body. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the dreamlike and illusory light around him, his heart filled with confusion and curiosity. He knew that they were one step closer to unraveling the mystery of this mysterious altar, but there were still more unknown dangers waiting for them ahead.